3. Destinations: streaming, CD and social media
What each platform does with your master, how normalization works and why a single version is usually enough for everything.
Streaming platforms adjust the volume of what they play, so a song doesn’t sound much louder than the previous one. Understanding that takes away the pressure of competing on volume.
How normalization works
If your master is louder than the platform's reference
The platform lowers it to its level. A master at −9 LUFS, on a platform that plays at −14, drops by 5 dB. So a more crushed master doesn’t sound louder, just less punchy next to a more open one.
What each destination does
These are the usual values. They change over time, and each platform has its own settings, so check them before publishing.
- Spotify and YouTube: reference of around −14 LUFS. Whatever comes in louder gets turned down.
- Apple Music: reference close to −16 LUFS.
- Amazon Music, Tidal and Deezer: around −14 to −15 LUFS.
- Bandcamp and SoundCloud: generally plays as you upload it, with no normalization.
- CD: plays as is.
- Instagram and TikTok: normalize in variable ways.
So how loud do I master?
−14 LUFS is how loud it plays on the platform, not how loud you have to master. A metal record at −14 would sound weak anywhere there’s no normalization, and much music in the genre gets delivered quite a bit louder.
One master for everything
Choosing the target before pushing the limiter avoids the mistake of crushing the song for fear of sounding quiet. Changing it later only costs repeating the adjustment and exporting again.
When to make another version
- A soft or acoustic song: more dynamic, between −14 and −12 LUFS.
- CD: at 16 bits and 44.1 kHz, with dither, derived from the same master.
- Vinyl: it has its own limitations. Ask the plant before building it.
If the platform turns your song down
With a very loud master, conversion to compressed formats can create new peaks. If you go louder than −14 LUFS, Spotify suggests a ceiling of −2 dBTP. −1 dBTP is usually enough, but if you hear distortion in the published version, try lowering the ceiling a bit.
To hear what people will hear
Do the math yourself: lower your master’s volume to −14 LUFS and listen next to a record in the genre, also at −14. That’s how the real result sounds: if yours has no punch next to the other, you overdid the limiter.
Common mistakes
What NOT to chase yet
Quick path: destination
Quick path
- Aim for about −10 LUFS with a ceiling of −1 dBTP.
- Measure a reference in the genre to confirm.
- Lower your master to −14 LUFS and compare it with another song at that level.
- If it has no punch, ease off the limiter.
- Make another version only if the song is soft or the destination is CD.
- Check the current values before publishing.
Expected result
Expected result
A volume target chosen on purpose, and the peace of mind that your song will work on each platform without competing to be the loudest. All that’s left is to check it and export.